


Those In Need

by Morphiina



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Animal Rescue, Banter, Casual, Fluff, FrostIron - Freeform, Human!Loki, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Injured!Loki, M/M, Mentions of Suicide Attempt, Mentions of animal peril, One-Shot, Romance, Smut, dog bites, shameless flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 09:13:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17423060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morphiina/pseuds/Morphiina
Summary: When Tony takes his dog to the vet, he meets an attractive and intriguing animal rescue worker named Loki; and he has every intention to get to know him better.





	Those In Need

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea I had a couple of days ago.  
> Bonus points if you catch my obscure Ms. Marvel reference.

Tony sat alone in the veterinary waiting room, and other than the muffled sounds of dogs whining and cats meowing occasionally from the back, it was quiet. Some lady had left with her little white yapper a short while ago, and now the place was pretty dead.

Which made sense. It was an odd time of day, most people should be working. Including Tony. But this had been a bit of an emergency. Which was the only reason why he was out in public in his pajamas.

He was thinking about the first day he got his dog, Leo, from the animal rescue down the street a few months ago. His therapist had told him to get a dog, because being responsible for another living creature was supposed to provide structure or something? It made sense, he supposed. He wouldn't deny the results thus far.

He knew it would be Leo the moment he saw the pathetic creature. Some kind of boxer mutt, the lady at the shelter suggested with a shrug. That dog was ugly as fuck. He had nasty scarring as well, was missing one of his canine teeth, and only had one ear. The lady said they thought he might have been in a dog fighting ring.

But when his eyes met those big, brown ones, he knew this was the one. This dog radiated love and joy. He had eyes of wisdom and kindness. Strangely, it almost felt like it was the dog that was choosing a human to rescue, rather than the other way around. Tony knew this was the one.

Now, only a few months later, he couldn't imagine life without his buddy. If he had known a dog could have such a big impact on a life, he’d have gotten one a long time ago.

So, here he sat, in a veterinary waiting room, tapping his fingers on his knee, glancing at the pretty receptionist now and then. They had assured him Leo would be fine, but waiting here had still felt like an eternity.

He was just debating to himself whether he should go try to strike up conversation with the receptionist to pass the time, and cursing himself for putting on jogging shoes with his pajamas, when the door jingled.

Tony glanced up as a man was shoving the door open with his hip, his arms wrapped around an animal crate.

And damn if Tony wasn’t startled by his appearance.

The young man was lanky, and his black fitted jeans accentuated the length of his legs. He wore a green t-shirt with a slight V at the neck, a long, black, unbuttoned cardigan folded up at the elbows, and a loose brown scarf. He had a Nordic knotwork and rune tattoo sleeve on his right arm, and his fingernails were black. His long, raven-black hair was wavy and swept over to one side, exposing one of his ears, which had a black stud earring.

And all of that was before he even got to his face. Creamy pale, it looked like it had been carved from marble by a fine artist. Cutting cheekbones, soft-looking lips. But those eyes most of all; when the man glanced around the room and Tony saw how piercing green they were, he felt his heart stop for a moment.

Then he suddenly noticed movement, and the head of a decently-sized snake rose from the man’s shoulder. Surprised, Tony realized it hadn't been a scarf; it was a snake wrapped around his neck, and it seemed to look right at Tony. Tony blinked back at it as it flicked its tongue.

The receptionist smiled at the man. “What do you have for us today?”

The man hefted the crate onto the counter so the lady could peek inside and grinned. “You said you wanted a box of kittens, Sarah. My wish is your command!” His voice was soft and humor-laced, and heavily English accented.

The receptionist, Sarah, dropped her pen and squealed excitedly, “Oh my god, I can't handle it! What a bunch of sweeties!” She poked her finger through the mesh of the crate door. Tony could hear some tiny mews coming from within.

“Someone found them in a street drain, no sign of the mother for a full day, so we made the decision to pick them up.” The young man explained. “We just bottle fed them half an hour ago, so they should be okay for a bit.”

“Poor babies! Kerrigan should be out and ready for them in a moment.” Sarah said, before glancing at the snake around his neck. “And how’s your boy today?”

“Well, he almost ate a recovering chipmunk this morning and was subsequently scolded.” The man stroked the snake’s head. “So he’s a bit pouty right now.”

Just then, one of the doors down the hall opened and out came the vet, with Leo tugging his leash in front of her, seemingly eager to return to his person.

Just as Tony was getting to his feet to fetch his dog, the raven-haired man spotted Leo and smiled, saying, “Hey, I know that pup.” Before Tony could reach them, that lanky man was kneeling down on the floor, and Leo was excitedly covering him in kisses. That little stub tail was moving at a million miles a second, and his body was wiggling like crazy. The man was laughing, and said, “I’ve missed you too, Leo.”

Tony stepped up and took the leash from the veterinarian. “And how do you know my dog?” He asked, cheery for an easy way into conversation with the guy, but also feeling really self-conscious about the PJs he was wearing. Oh well; if he was outwardly confident enough, it wouldn't matter.

The young man glanced up with those brilliant eyes. “You got him from the animal rescue down the street?” Tony nodded, and he went on, “I work there. He was with us for a year beforehand.” He stroked that ugly, happy dog between the ears- well, ear and stub- and Leo looked like he was in heaven. “What's he in for?”

“He ah… ate an entire bar of soap this morning.” Tony said, wincing. “I didn't know what to do, so I brought him here.”

The man let out a laugh, and Tony couldn't help but smirk back. “Oh, yes. That sounds like Leo.” The man said.

The vet, Kerrigan, smiled at Tony. “He’s fine. He puked a few chunks of it up, and I don't see any sign of impaction. Just uh… he’s going to poop a lot for the next couple of days.”

Tony scrunched his nose, but he was relieved to hear his dog would be fine. He thanked the vet, and turned his attention back to the man crouching down there on the ground. “I didn’t see you there at the shelter when I went to pick him out.” He smiled charmingly. “I definitely would have noticed.”

The man wiped his dog-kissed face off on his sleeve and got to his feet. “I suppose you were evaluated by Katie on my day off.” He stroked the snake around his neck, which had coiled tighter, and smirked. “You got off lucky, I'm a lot tougher.”

Tony grinned, and reached down to pat Leo on the back. “Well, now I’m really disappointed, sounds like I missed my opportunity to prove myself. But hey, maybe I'll get another chance.” Maybe he was slathering it on too thick, but he couldn't really help himself. He held a hand out. “Tony Stark.”

The man shook his hand. “Loki.” His hand was dainty, but firm.

“Loki…?”

“Just Loki.” Tony raised an eyebrow as Loki winked mysteriously, took his hand back, and then glanced over to the vet, who was opening up the kittens’ crate to take a closer look. “Full round of shots, please, Kerri. Might want to check them for parasites too, who knows how long they were in that drain. Oh, and the little orange one’s eye is crusted shut. Might be an infection or ulcer.”

“Full works, you got it hon.” The doctor smiled, pulling out one of the tiny kittens and kissing it on the nose. Loki reached out and tickled the little creature gently on the back, and it mewed pitifully.

“Right, I’ll be back to pick them up a bit later. Got a baby deer that needs feeding.”

“Never a slow day, eh?” Sarah said.

“At the understaffed and only animal rescue in the entire city? Never.” Loki sighed, adjusting the snake around his neck a bit and turning away from the counter. He paused to stroke Leo on the head, saying, “Good to see you again, buddy.” Leo’s tongue lolled happily.

“Maybe I’ll see you around?” Tony spoke up. No way he was going to let the guy forget he was there.

Loki glanced back at him, slight smile crossing his face. “Aye, maybe.” He dipped his head and headed back out the door of the office. Well, that wasn't a no. Tony would take it.

“Watch out for that one.” The voice of the receptionist brought him back out of his thoughts. She had an amused look on her face. “I hear he has an actual snake pit in his back yard.”

Tony grinned back. “Now see, you've just sealed my fate. Because I take that as a challenge.”

 

—

 

The next time Tony saw Loki was quite by accident. Well… okay, that wasn't true.

Tony had been taking Leo for a long walk through the city. The dog was very excited to be spending time with his person, and eagerly greeted anyone who wasn't put off by his grizzled appearance.

This wasn't the first time he’d taken the dog for a walk through this part of town. The part near the vet and, subsequently, the animal rescue where Loki claimed he worked. It was only a matter of timing that eventually he’d have to run into the man, he knew.

As luck had it, he spotted that darkly-dressed, lanky figure from across the street, heading away from the animal rescue building. Tony quickly crossed over and jogged to catch up to him. He was wearing a dark sweater-vest today, sleeves rolled, and that snake was around his neck again. His hair was up in a messy bun, black strands loose in the front and framing his face. At first, Tony thought he was walking a really squat dog. But as he drew closer, he realized that was definitely not a dog.

“Are you walking a lizard?” Tony asked when he caught up to him. Leo was wagging his stub tail excitedly at seeing Loki again, but kept glancing down at the reptile curiously, which shuffled along the sidewalk determinedly, tugging on its green harness.

Loki glanced at him, a little amused smile plastered on his face. He didn't seem overly surprised to see Tony. “This is clearly a dog. Right, Fido?” Loki addressed the lizard.

“You might wanna get that looked at, then.” Tony smirked, tugging Leo back a bit as they walked alongside Loki and… Fido, trying to keep him away from the reptile in case he got too excited. “He's a bit ugly, for a dog.”

“I’d resent that statement as prejudice against ugly dogs, but you did adopt Leo.”

Tony scoffed, a faux hurt expression on his face. “Hey now, Leo is the most beautiful dog in the world!”

Loki only smirked in response. He stopped and bent down to pick up the large lizard, grunting with effort as he hoisted it up into his arms. Tony certainly didn't look away from the view of the man’s backside as he did so. The snake looked at the other reptile curiously.

“Care to get some coffee?” Tony offered, smoothly. “Maybe we can tie our uh… dogs, outside the door.”

“I was actually on my way to the pet cafe down the street.” Loki said as they continued walking.

“Pet cafe?”

“Aye, animals are allowed inside, even have their own menu.” He stroked the lizard’s glistening head. “Fido loves their Rainbow Salad.”

“Is that legal?”

“In recent years, but you have to sign a paper.”

“Well then, we’re game.” Tony grinned. “If you'll have us.” Leo looked up at them, tongue lolling out.

Loki smiled down at the dog. “Certainly couldn't say no to hanging out with an old friend.”

Tony let out a fake gasp. “You're just using me to get to Leo.”

Loki smirked. “Now now, let's not be hypocrites.”

Tony didn't have anything clever to say to that, so he just grinned charmingly and followed him to the cafe.

 

Tony was dressed a lot nicer today, a stark contrast to his disshevelled, pajama’d appearance at the vet’s office. A stylish button-up folded at the elbows and unbuttoned a bit at the chest, a dark vest, nice pants and shoes, gelled hair, his favorite cologne. He was intent on ensuring the only way Loki would ever see him look a mess again was a morning after scenario. It did him good to get dressed up and caring about his appearance more regularly, anyway. So his therapist told him.

The place looked and smelled like any hipster hangout cafe. Fresh roasted coffee beans filled the air, and the color scheme cozy yet modern in its muted browns and dimly lit. The walls were covered in artsy photographs of stylish people with beautiful animals. There was one wall that just had a line of dog beds, and little treat dispensers sat on every table.

There was a decent amount of people inside, most with dogs of all shapes and sizes, a few with cats, iguanas, birds, fancy rats, even one with a sugar glider poking its head out of her pocket. Suddenly Loki didn't look so out of place. Tony followed behind him as they walked through the warm place up to the front.

The raven-haired man stepped up to the counter, holding the big lizard like a baby on his hip, and slid over what looked like a rewards card alongside his debit. “Usual, Mikey.”

The tall, handsome, dark-skinned man behind the counter grinned. He had those typical thick-rim hipster glasses on, but they worked well with his face. “Grande English Breakfast, you got it, Loki.” He plugged in the order. “And how about our little friends today?”

“The usual for Fido, and I guess a little egg for Jörmungandr couldn't hurt.” Loki said smoothly. “Though, I'm still mad about the chipmunk, and I'm not sure he deserves a treat.”

The man, Mikey, laughed and reached down behind the counter, producing a little white egg, small enough to pinch between the fingers. Loki put his free elbow out a little and the snake seemed to understand, lifting its head and lazily slithering down it. Mikey held the egg right out to the reptile’s face, an eager expression on his own. After a few moments of the snake staring at the egg, it finally unhinged it's jaw and took the egg from the man’s fingers, swallowing it whole.

Tony watched the entire exchange with interest, glancing between Loki and the man behind the counter. It seemed Loki was quite a regular here, and even from what little he knew about him, it seemed like just the kind of place he’d hang out in. Cool, a little chaotic, and full of animals.

“What can I get you, buddy?”

Tony perked his head up and realized the man was addressing him, and it was his turn to order. “Just a medium black coffee.” He went to take out his card.

“Anything for your friend there?” Mikey nodded down at Leo.

Tony glanced down at the dog, whose tongue was lolling. “Well, he just had breakfast an hour ago, but I guess he can have a treat.” Leo’s good ear perked at that beautiful word.

“He always liked the peanut butter pumpkin snaps.” Loki offered, struggling to put his cards back in his wallet with one arm full of lizard.

“Woof, spoiled boy.” Tony smirked and looked back up at the man at the counter. “Peanut butter pumpkin snaps it is.”

 

Tony found himself sitting at one of the 2-person booths, passing Leo the little round, orange treats under the table, trying not to stare too hard at the beautiful man across the table from him.

“So, what kind of dog is Fido?” Tony asked. The large lizard was currently flat on its belly on the table, devouring the little plate of colorful vegetation and raw meats.

“Tegu.” Loki sipped at his massive cup of tea. His black fingernails popped against the white of the mug. “We rescued him from a neglectful hoarder. That guy had like, 35 reptiles in his apartment. Not all of them made it, unfortunately.” He said wistfully, then pat the large reptile on the back.

“Must be a tough job.” Tony said sympathetically. “Having to deal with animal peril on a regular basis.”

“Mm. Worth it for the ones we save, though.” Loki glanced down thoughtfully at the dog at their feet. “How has Leo settled in to his new home?”

“I mean, I'll admit I'm not overly fluent in dog language yet, but he seems happy.” Tony smiled, taking a sip of his coffee. It was a good roast. Better than from his usual place. “He's got a cozy bed, lots of toys, and a big house and yard to run around in. Plus I work from home, so he's never alone.”

“Oh? What do you do?” Loki asked curiously. Finally, a little interest in Tony himself. He felt pleased.

“Engineer, inventor, CEO. Well, symbolic CEO. I don't do much of the running myself. They tell me where to sign and I sign.”

“Ah, that's where I've heard your name.” Loki nodded. “Stark Industries?”

“Haven't heard too much, I hope?” Tony smirked. “I swear, it's impossible to play dark and mysterious with the starving media around.”

Loki shrugged. “I don't pay much attention to the media.”

“Oh good, we’re both a mystery, then.”

Loki’s lip curled up in a slight smile, and he spread his hands. “My life is an open book.”

“Ha, says the man who won't even tell me his last name.”

“Is that what this is all about? I might just have to continue keeping it to myself to stay interesting.”

“Oh honey, I could hear your name every day and you'd still be interesting.”

“Laying it on a bit thick there.”

“I mean, it's not every day you meet a ‘Loki’.” Tony grinned. “What nationality is that, anyway?”

“Norse.” Loki glanced down and studied the Nordic knotwork and runes tattooed on his arm. “My family was always ah… proud of our heritage.”

“Is that where Jörm-something-or-other comes from?”

“Jörmungandr, yes.” Loki stroked the snake’s head, and it flicked its tongue in response. “The Nordic world-snake.”

“I never paid much attention in… whatever class taught that stuff. Maybe you can tell me the story sometime.”

“A really big snake bit his own ass. That's about it.”

“Oof, so much for my setup for a second rendeveaux in front of a nice fire.”

“It might be salvaged if tea was offered.”

Tony felt his heart flutter a bit, but he kept his mouth smooth and casual. “Do I look like I keep tea in my house?”

“You look like you keep a lot of whiskey in your house.”

Tony laughed, “Damn, pegged me to the wall. You sure you don't read the media?”

“Would the media really know that particular detail?” Loki tapped his fingers against the ceramic mug in his hands.

“No hookup is above a little kiss and tell.”

Their witty chat went on for about a half hour, both of them working down their drinks between jabs. It had been a long time since anyone had been able to verbally keep up with Tony; and not only was Loki doing that, Tony was actually the one struggling to match him.

Tony was chasing him around with casual, suggestive flirting, and Loki managed to neither accept nor decline his advances with his aloofness and way of spinning the conversation around on its head in an angle Tony hadn't thought about initially. It was dizzying, and Tony felt like he was getting the runaround. But he also caught hints that Loki wanted him to chase. Like this was some kind of test of Tony’s mental agility and stamina, and whether he thought it was worth it.

Oh, Tony thought it was worth it. He refused to back down from a challenge, especially from such a lovely and tantalizing challenger; and damn if he wasn't having fun too.

He didn't manage to weasel much in the way of personal information out of the man, but at one point Loki did stress about how rough the situation at the animal rescue had gotten. The place wasn't thriving in the current economy; relying mostly on donations and meager adoption fees wasn't the best model in a near-crisis. The employees who did stick by the rescue gave it their lives and were personally suffering for it. They’d lost employees who couldn't live on meager wages, doubling the amount of work for those who stayed. They weren't getting much in the way of volunteers either.

The shelter was overflowing, and it was difficult to get each animal the attention it required. A lot of dogs weren't getting all the walks they needed. They were getting by, and the animals were doing as well as they could under their care; but it was tough to keep up with. Loki spoke of it more generally, but Tony could tell the situation was taking a toll on him. He didn't look particularly well-rested.

Tony couldn't really empathize; being the heir to a multi-billion-dollar company had a certain security to it, and he didn't have the worry of being responsible for much. Still, the passion in Loki’s voice made him want to do something about it.

Before he could make any suggestions, though, Loki was glancing at the time on his phone and turning to click the leash back onto Fido’s harness. “Well, I've really got to get back. Dogs to walk, kittens to feed.” He got to his feet, stretching his back out as he did so.

“No rest for the wickedly handsome.” Tony flashed a grin, and Loki rolled his eyes.

“I suppose you'd know all about that.” Loki said, more in a sarcastic tone that said ‘you think you're so handsome’ than confirming it was true. Didn't bother Tony; he knew he was handsome.

Loki took one last sip of his tea before he smoothed down his sweater vest, adjusted the snake around his neck which curled up tighter in response, and reached down to pick up the tegu lizard. Tony patted his dog on the head before going to stand up as well, picking up his now-empty coffee cup.

“By the way, snake leather hasn't been in style since like… the 70’s.” Tony grinned teasingly, referring to the snake around Loki’s neck. Very insincere teasing, if he had to admit it to himself; Loki had a cool style, and wearing a live snake around somehow brought his sexy points up by… a lot.

Loki made a face of mock offense. “Don't talk to me or my son ever again.” He turned up his nose haughtily as he quoted the meme. Even Jörmungandr had a stuck-up look to his face.

Tony snickered at that, and waited for Loki to tuck the hefty lizard under his arm and pick up his tea cup and Fido’s licked-clean little plate with the other hand. He turned and went over to the dishes dropoff stall and placed the ceramicware down with a clink.

Tony led Leo along as he followed Loki out the door, waiting for the man to wave goodbye to the staff before ducking outside.

“Hey, this was fun.” Tony said to the lanky man when they had stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Loki was in the middle of placing Fido back down onto the ground when he looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, before slowly nodding. “It was.” He agreed, standing up straight.

“Now that I know Leo’s a peanut butter pumpkin snap fiend, I’ll definitely have to bring him back. Maybe I'll catch you here again?” Tony smiled charmingly.

Loki’s lip slowly curled into a return smile. “I'll see you around, Stark.” With that, he gave a goodbye nod, and turned to head back up the street towards the pet rescue, Fido waddling along beside him, nails clicking against the cement.

Leo whined about his friend leaving, and sat down on the ground, staring up at Tony with sad eyes.

“Don't worry buddy, we’ll see him again.” Tony glanced back up, gazing at that ass that looked really amazing in those jeans disappear up the road, grinning. “Sooner than later, in fact.”

The guy standing out at the front of the store holding free samples and signage papers for new members stared at him. “Watch out, I hear he has a snake pit in his backyard.” He eventually warned Tony.

Tony just chuckled.

 

—

 

Despite the risk of looking desperate, Tony didn't waste any time. The next day, he found himself standing outside the animal rescue center, wearing a casual Metallica half-sleeve, dark jeans and nice running shoes. Leo beside him was excitedly wagging his stub. The dog seemed to recognize the place; Tony was glad he was excited, and not worried he was being returned. He supposed that said something about the quality of care animals were given here.

The door made a jingling sound when he opened it, and he stepped inside. He’d only been here once, but he remembered which direction to turn for the front desk. He was immediately pleased to see who was currently manning it.

Loki sat with his feet up on the desk, those worn converse crossed over each other. A large, one-eyed tabby cat lounged on the table beside him, and he spotted Fido the tegu basking under a lamp. Loki had a clipboard on his lap, and was writing gracefully with a pen.

Jörmungandr the snake was nowhere to be seen today, and left the man’s pale neck exposed. He was wearing a green sleeveless and a black open sweater that was hanging down off one thin shoulder, exposing it. Tony couldn't stop staring at that window of creamy skin.

“Can I help y- oh, Stark.”

Tony shook off his daze and looked up to find Loki had noticed his presence, and so he flashed a charming smile.

“Slow day?” Tony asked him, casually stepping right up to the desk.

“Quite the contrary; but this paperwork has needed doing for two weeks.” He pulled his legs off the desk and sat up straight. To Tony’s disappointment, he reached up and pulled his sweater back up over his shoulder. “Thinking about getting a friend for Leo?” The dog at Tony’s feet perked up at the sound of his name, and Loki smiled down at him.

“Actually, I was thinking about volunteering.” Tony told him. “Dog walking, whatever needs doing.”

Loki raised an eyebrow. “Charity events lose their charm? Looking for something more hands on?”

Oh, he was looking for something more hands on alright. “Thanks to Leo, I've come to the conclusion that I really like dogs.” Tony said instead, truthfully. “You were saying yesterday that the place could use more volunteers, thought it sounded fun.”

Loki rested his face on his fist and looked Tony up and down thoughtfully for a moment, eyebrow still raised. Eventually, he turned and opened a drawer on the desk, and pulled out a piece of paper. “You’ll have to fill this application out, and let us know on the back what days you're available.” He held the paper out to him.

“For you, honey, I'm always available.” Tony grinned, taking the form.

Loki made a pained expression. “Don't make me take that paper back.”

Tony laughed and took one of the pens from the jar on the desk.

 

When the paperwork was finished, Tony found himself back in the area he had been when he was picking out a dog the first time. Loki named each of the dogs for him, spouting out fun little tidbits of information on each as they strolled through. It was kind of adorable, the way he spoke of each animal passionately; like they were his kids that he was very proud of. Tony really looked forward to working with them, feeding off Loki’s energy.

Tony had never been much of a cat person, never really gotten to know any before; but when they went through the cat area and Loki teased each of them for their own little personality quirks, Tony came to realize maybe there was more to the creatures than met the eye.

The most depressing part of the place was the rehab center. This was where they took injured and neglected animals to recover after they had been treated by the vet. Abandoned babies, the brutally wounded, and abuse victims of all species sat looking pathetic in their cages. Dogs, cats, squirrels, foxes, birds, skunks and countless others. Tony could see each of them was outfitted with a setup to help it be as comfortable as possible during recovery, and he could see the signs of tender care to each. Still, it was sad to see them in such conditions.

“A lot of these guys will be returned to the wild, preferably; but some will be put into foster care if we don't think they’ll survive out there.” Loki explained the more exotic creatures. “We have a good foster network, but… well, we still end up taking a lot of work home with us.” He said wistfully.

“I kinda figured your home is a zoo.” Tony smirked.

Tony briefly met a few of the employees and volunteers. They all seemed elated to have a new set of hands offering to help out, but most were much too busy to stick around and chat for long, and didn't get far beyond ‘omg you're Tony Stark!’. But that was okay. Tony figured he’d get to know everyone over time. He was just happy to find them all warm and welcoming. Despite the hard work and sacrifice, this seemed like a place filled with positive energy, and Tony was drawn to it.

Of course, if he was being honest with himself, a decent portion of that was probably because of Loki. He couldn't stop staring at the lanky man when he went into excitable rants about his job. This was someone who was very passionate about what he did, and he couldn't seem to help but talk about it. He seemed to forget Tony was even there when he was talking sometimes, his brilliant green eyes shining past him. Kind of like Tony when he got into it about what he did in his workshop. It was adorable.

They really didn't waste time putting him to work. An hour later, Tony found himself exiting the building holding five leashes with excitable dogs at the other ends in various sizes. Leo bounced alongside them all, extremely eager to go on a walk with his old friends. He had been given a basic walk route by one of the ladies that worked there, with instructions to make sure each dog relieved itself.

The fact that a lot of people on the route seemed to recognize the dogs was a little sad, considering it meant they weren't getting adopted. It was a shame; they all had great personalities, as he discovered. Sure, some were old and a bit ratty and worn down. But they all had sparks of life, like he had seen in Leo.

Tony was thinking deeply about ways he could help these dogs get adopted when he realized he’d gotten back to the rescue building already.

 

—

 

Over the week, Tony came in for a few hours most days to take dogs for walks. He always brought Leo, who was delighted to see his old friends and to make new ones. Sometimes the other employees and volunteers asked him to help with other things; cleaning the cages and passing out food bowls and the like.

He didn't get to spend as much time with Loki as he would have liked. The man always seemed to have his hands full. Tony learned that he worked a lot with new arrivals and rehabilitation, as well as actual rescue-work. He also learned a little about the man from talking to his fellow workers.

They all called him ‘Hipster Viking’ as an endearing nickname. They all thought he was a cool, chill guy; prone to sarcasm and mischief, but considered him to be the one who put in the most effort and sacrificed the hardest for the place. Most of them didn't know how he kept up the energy for it.

At one point, Tony was pushing one of the employees for information, and the girl laughed and said, “Careful, I hear he has a snake pit in his backyard.” Tony was really starting to wonder if this rumor had merit.

But all they really knew about his personal life was that his background was heathen (always referred to Christmas as Yule and all), and that this job was his life. They didn't know much beyond that, nor anything substantial about his past. Apparently he never talked about it or family. But that was okay. He intended to learn such things from the man himself.

Of course, that was a little bit hard to do when the most he saw of Loki was rushing between hallways, and all he’d really succeeded in doing was throw flirtatious comments over his shoulder.

He did manage to catch him one morning at the pet cafe, walking a particularly droopy Bassett hound. But they didn't end up having much chance to chat like the first time, as Loki grabbed his tea to go, with the explaination that they were bringing in a problem dog today and he needed to be there for it.

The only information of any substance was an observation, and Tony wasn't sure what it meant. The way Loki spoke, the way he held himself. He was graceful and well-mannered and quick. His clothes were a bit ratty along the edges, but he kept them neat and wore them as though they were designer.

He didn't seem like the kind of person who put all their time and energy into a run down animal rescue that supposedly didn't pay much. If Tony hadn't seen him in this element, and if maybe he was wearing a suit or something, Loki seemed like he would fit right in at the fancy company dinner parties Tony was forced to go to.

 

Tony found that Loki really never slowed down unless he was forced to. More commonly in the worst way possible, as Tony discovered while driving with Leo back from an afternoon jaunt at the dog park.

As he was coming up to pass the hospital, Tony spotted a familiar lanky figure coming out of the emergency room doorway. Leo seemed to spot him too, and barked at the window excitedly.

Tony frowned when he realized Loki was limping and using one crutch to help himself move. Had he injured himself?

So he did what any real gentleman would do, and pulled up alongside the man.

“Need a ride?” He called out through the window once he had rolled it down.

Loki glanced over at him. He had a vape pen in his mouth, and a white cloud came out of his nose. He looked to be in rough shape, eyes dark, skin paler than usual.

He took the vape pen out of his mouth and looked thoughtful for a moment before he spoke. “That… actually would be helpful.” Loki admitted.

Tony told Leo to get in the backseat to make room, and got out to round the car and open the door for Loki. He took the crutch from the raven-haired man, who then eased himself into the front seat, visibly wincing.

Tony closed the door behind him, stowed the crutch in the trunk, and got back to the driver’s seat. “Where to? You better not be going to work.”

Loki sighed. “I've been banned from the premises for the rest of the day. So, home it is.” He gave Tony his address, and he began pulling away from the curb.

“So what the hell happened to you?” Tony asked after a minute. He was dying of curiosity.

“The new rescue dog got me good.” Loki winced, glancing down at his leg. “Lots of stitches.”

When Tony looked down, he could see that Loki’s pant leg had been ripped badly. He couldn't imagine what the flesh underneath looked like.

“Jesus.” Tony breathed. “What's going to happen with the dog?”

Loki shrugged, “I’m going to rehabilitate her.”

Tony glanced at him in surprise. “Seriously? After it bit you like that?”

“This was a badly abused dog with severe traumatic stress, she’s very afraid of people right now. I don't blame her for biting.” Loki defended the dog. “She was just scared, and needs to learn not to be.”

“But… don’t biters usually get put down?”

“Ones that are beyond correction, yes.” Tony could hear the bitterness clipped in Loki’s voice as he put his vape pen in his mouth again. “But I don't give up easy on dogs, especially the scared biters.” He blew a vapor cloud out the window. “If I did, you wouldn't have Leo.”

Tony looked at him in shock. “Leo? But… he’s the nicest dog I've ever met!” He glanced in the rear view mirror at the dog that had his head out the window, tongue rolling happily in the wind.

Loki raised an eyebrow. “It was in the file Katie gave you.” He pulled his sleeve down, exposing his forearm. Tony glanced over and noticed white scarring there. “This happened during his rescue. But I know a fear bite when I see it. And I knew a good dog underneath the fear when I saw Leo.”

Tony smiled at the dog’s mirror reflection. “Well, I'm glad you didn't give up on him. He is definitely a good boy.”

When they finally reached Loki’s place, Tony was a little surprised by how rundown it looked. The gray ranch-style house was tiny, and secluded from the other houses by the shroud of trees around it. A tall dog fence wrapped around the premises, seeming to extend to the back. Made sense for a single guy living on low wages, but Tony wasn't used to being confronted with poverty. It also felt a bit strange, considering the way Loki held himself like a person of well-off upbringing.

That said, it was still a pretty cute house, under the dinginess.

Loki opened the car door and struggled out of the vehicle, trying not to put weight on his injured leg. Tony quickly hopped out to retrieve the crutch, and handed it to him, watching closely in case he got wobbly.

“Don't suppose you'd like to stop in for a coffee or something?” Loki offered casually once he’d gotten the crutch under his arm. He flipped the vape pen between his fingers after one last drag, and stuck it behind his ear, using his now-free hand to get his keys out of his pocket.

“Glad you offered, considering I was going to let myself in to make sure you're staying off your feet anyway.” Tony grinned. Admittedly, he was also really curious to see how the man lived. “I never say no to coffee.”

Loki smirked at that, and limped up the steps to his front door, leaning on the railing to work on unlocking it. Tony went to let Leo out of the back seat, who bounced out and scampered up the steps beside Loki. It seemed he’d been here before. Tony wondered how deep Loki had been in the rehabilitation with this dog. He made a mental note to ask him more about it later, then locked his car and followed behind.

Tony had been expecting a zoo, but he hadn't mentally been prepared for what he saw inside.

The moment the door opened, Tony’s ears were bombarded by the light chirping of a multitude of birds. Loki hobbled forward into the open-concept kitchen, and Tony closed the door behind him before slowly following, looking around wide-eyed.

The living room was full of cages, completely blocking any chance of having an entertainment system, and a rainbow of colorful birds hopped around inside, chirping excitedly. A few of them had on cute little sweaters. He spotted a few cats lounging around, most of them missing some kind of body part; eyes, ears, tails, legs. He saw one cat scooting along on unmoving back legs to greet Loki.

That was when three dogs bounded in through the large dog door at the back door, barking with glee, smelling like grass. They were clearly all mutts, but resembled a Bull Terrier, a Shiba Inu, and a Dalmatian; all wiggling with joy at the early return of their person. The Bull Terrier was missing a front leg and struggled to keep up with the others, but seemed just as thrilled. Then they spotted Tony and Leo, and ran over to greet them as well. Leo returned their excitement, and jumped around with them, sniffing all over.

“Easy, guys.” Loki told them good-humoredly as he went to hang his keyset on their hangar. The dogs obediently calmed down, but their tails remained little helicopters.

“Nevermind zoo,” Tony laughed. “It's fuckin’ Noah’s Ark in here!”

Loki smirked. “You haven't even seen the reptile room.” He limped over to the coffee machine to turn it on, crutch clacking against the tile.

“Hey, go sit down.” Tony said sternly. “I can make the coffee.”

“It's no trouble-” Loki tried to say.

“Go sit.” Tony folded his arms with finality.

Loki sighed, and turned for the living room. “Fine. Coffee and mugs are in the cabinet above the machine.” He limped over to the couch, the only free space in the living room, and heaved himself down, wincing. His three dogs and Leo ran over to him and pushed for his attention, the Shiba Inu jumping up on the couch to curl up beside him.

Tony smiled a little at the scene of the dogs trying to comfort their person, and then turned to work on the coffee.

Though the house did seem to be primarily an animal sanctuary, it was remarkably well-kept. The cages were spotless, the floor vacuumed, the animal toys in their place; it didn't even really smell like animals in here other than the faint unavoidable odor of dog. The tidiness would have seemed out of character for someone who lived such a chaotic life. Tony wondered if Loki had trained the animals to pick up after themselves.

As the machine was working, Tony heard the sound of toenails clicking against tile, and glanced up. Then he nearly fell backwards in surprise.

Staring at him was what looked like a massive, black wolf. It stood there silently regarding the man, it's eyes cold and calculating. Tony felt fear creeping up his spine like a cold breeze.

Then, the moment was broken as Leo bounded over and tried to lick at the wolf’s face. The wolf snorted and pulled away from the excitable dog, ignoring him, and slowly wandered over to Loki.

Tony let out the breath he just realized he had been holding. “Is that a fucking wolf?”

Loki glanced up from his phone, and spotted the massive canine. His lip curled in a smile. “Partially. This is Fenris.” He patted the black dog on the head when it reached him. “Don't mind him, he’s harmless. Well, unless he perceives danger towards me.” His smile turned malicious, and Tony swallowed nervously. Suddenly he was starting to feel like that snake pit might be more than a rumor.

Tony turned back to the coffee machine, going for the mugs now. A lot of them were various animal-lover mugs, with silly puns or cute illustrations on them. He imagined a lot of them were probably gifted, but it was adorable to picture him actually picking them out himself.

He was just getting ready to pour when he heard footsteps this time, and more dog nails clicking against tile. He glanced up to see Loki limping over to the fridge, Fenris practically pressed at his side.

“Wow, you listened to me for about two minutes, I guess this is going to be harder than I thought.” Tony leaned back against the counter. “Where's the duct tape? I need it for reasons. Not for taping you to a chair or anything.”

“I need to feed everyone.” Loki told him, opening the fridge. “It's not going to get any easier the later I wait.” He pulled out what looked like a jar of mealworms, and placed it in the counter.

Tony sipped on his newly poured cup of coffee, handing Loki the other one, who took it wistfully. “Then tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.” Tony said.

“Do you know how many animals are in here?” Loki sipped the coffee. “I can't ask you to do all that.” He grimaced, and muttered under his breath ‘gods I hate coffee’.

“That sounds like a challenge to me.” Tony grinned, putting his own coffee down on the counter. He grabbed Loki by the arm and led him back into the living room, protesting all the way. Fenris watched closely, and Tony was thankful the massive wolfdog didn't perceive this action as a threat. He wondered if the animal actually knew what Tony was trying to do. Those eyes seemed so full of intelligence.

Loki finally sat down again, looking defeated.

“Now then, we’ll start with the birdies.” Tony grinned. “What do I do?”

Loki sighed, lounging back on the couch. “Make sure their bowls are full of pellets, top it off with the bag in the corner. Then give each of them a grape, from the kitchen.” He sounded tired and deflated, and Tony was determined to do exceptionally in the task he was handed.

The dogs, except Fenris who sat guardingly at Loki’s feet, followed Tony around as he fed the birds. Loki warned him not to give the dogs any of the grapes, muttering that the dummies were silly to be begging for them because he was 90% certain they wouldn't actually like them anyway.

While he went about it, he asked Loki about the adorable sweaters some of the birds were wearing. Unfortunately, the reason wasn't as cute as it seemed. He explained that many of these birds came from traumatic situations, and a lot of birds dealt with stress by plucking their own feathers. So they had to wear sweaters to keep from plucking further.

He was next given the task to feed the dogs, which was as easy as filling their bowls with kibble, and putting some kind of drops in the bowl of one of them. He was told where to find the cans of wet cat food and kibble, which Tony fetched. Loki made a kissy sound with his lips and called, “kitties!”, and all the cats came running, limping or dragging themselves over; congregating in front of him. This part was the most difficult so far, as apparently some of them had special diets and Tony had to make sure each cat went to its own bowl and put the right food in each bowl. Pills had to be shoved down throats as well, and Loki had him bring one of them over for a shot.

Tony then allowed Loki to get up from the couch to move to the next room, as he insisted it was necessary, and followed him into what he called the ‘reptile room’. It seemed to be a converted spare bedroom; it was warm and humid within, and tanks lined the walls. It looked like the reptile section at a pet store. There were all sorts of reptiles, including a turtle, and other things like frogs, some kind of white swimming salamander thing Loki called an axolotl, and even a fish tank.

“The snakes were all fed this week so they should be fine.” Loki said, heaving himself down onto the rolling chair that sat in the room. He absent-mindlessly rubbed his leg above where the bite was, wincing. “Except Pickles, he's still little. You can give him a frozen pinkie mouse.”

He then proceeded to explain what and how many insects to put into the tanks of the rest of them; or fruits, veggies, or raw meat, depending on the type. Tony had no idea reptile diets varied so widely. This whole task took him ages, but he was fiercely determined to get it right. Besides, he got to hear an endearing backstory for each one, and he enjoyed every second of that.

Finally, the reptiles, amphibians and fish were done with. Loki told Tony to go into the room next door; he told him there was a rabbit pen and some ferrets. “Just fill their bowls up with the kibble next to the cages.” He explained.

Tony left him in the reptile room and obediently went to the next room. To his amusement, this room turned out to be Loki’s bedroom. Now this was the least clean room in the house. The bed was not made, the hamper was full, and it smelled mildly of ferret. Tony felt like this was symbolic of the way Loki lived his life. He had a theory that the man put it all in for the animals, and didn't pay much attention to himself.

For one thing, Loki bought all this special food and medications for the animals, and Tony didn't recall seeing much in the fridge or cabinets for a human to eat.

After Tony fed the rabbit and ferrets, all of which seemed to either be aged or gimp in some way, he headed out of the bedroom and back to the living room. Loki had relocated himself to the sofa one again, and was in the middle of popping what looked to be prescription pills in his mouth, washing it down with coffee.

“You like pizza?” Tony asked.

Loki glanced up at him. “I… yes but-”

“Good, my treat.” He took out his phone and opened up the Dominoes app to start his order.

“I was just going to have rice or something, you don't have to-”

“I'm buying you pizza and you're gonna eat it.” Tony said matter-of-factly, not looking up from his phone.

After several moments of silence, Tony finally glanced up from his phone to look at the other man. Loki was sitting there staring thoughtfully at his mug of coffee.

“Why are you helping me, Stark?” Loki eventually asked, not looking up from the coffee.

Tony, now finished with the order, put his phone away and went to go sit on the other side of the couch. Leo scrambled over to sit between his legs. “Maybe it's like how you help animals you see in need of it.” He said. “Maybe I just like helping people I see in need of it.”

“Nah.”

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. “Nah?”

“You just think I'm cute.” Loki said, completely casual as he sipped his mug of coffee.

Tony let his jaw drop dramatically. “That's absolutely preposterous!” He spluttered. “I do NOT think you're cute. I think you're drop dead gorgeous!”

Loki smirked.

And then it felt normal, falling into quippy back and forth banter. Just like that morning at the pet cafe. They threw snark at each other until the pizza guy arrived, and continued on as they ate. The dogs stared longingly at the food, but Loki had trained them well, and none of them tried to steal.

Eventually the conversation had descended into Tony asking about Leo’s time at the shelter. Loki went on about the dog’s treatment and rehabilitation, and it seemed Tony’s theory that Loki had really taken the dog under his wing were true.

“To be honest, I was little devastated to find Leo gone when I got back to work the next day.” Loki was saying, having reached the end of his tale. “I was very happy someone saw the beautiful dog I did under that grizzled mug and wanted to take him into their life… your life.” Loki corrected himself. “But I was sad I wasn't there to see him go.”

Tony made an empathetic face. “Sorry, I wish I'd came the day before.”

Loki shrugged. “Not like you could have known.” He reached over and patted Leo on the head. “I got to see him again, anyway.”

“Fate and soap brought us together.” Tony grinned.

Loki chuckled, and then broke into a yawn. Tony had to admit, the man looked exhausted.

“I think that's my cue.” Tony said, getting to his feet, picking up the paper plates that the pizza had been on and taking them to the trash can. “You should get some sleep.”

Loki nodded, looking a bit spaced out.

“Need help getting those pants off?” Tony couldn't help but ask with a grin.

Loki gave him a dirty look with an undertone of amusement. “I'll manage.”

Soon, Tony had Leo’s leash clipped on, and he was at the front door. He had said goodbye to all the animals whose names he could remember Loki mentioning, and then a general goodbye to the rest. That got an amused smile from Loki, who had insisted on walking him to the door.

“You’re not going to work tomorrow, are you?” Tony asked.

“I am.”

“Loki, you should really just stay home and stay off your-”

“You're not arguing me out of it, so don't waste your time.”

Tony sighed, then opened the door, Leo spinning at his feet and ready to go for a ride, and cool night air wafted into the entryway. He and Leo both stepped through the doorway, then he turned back to Loki, “Well, guess I’ll see you tomorrow th-”

All of a sudden he found himself muffled by lips on his own. Loki had grabbed him by the shirt and shoved their faces together and oh god his lips were so soft-

A few heartbeats later, it was over; Loki pulling away, leaving Tony staggering backwards a little, staring at him wide-eyed. The raven-haired man had a cocky smirk on his face.

“Thank you for helping me out today, Tony.” Tony felt his heart skip a beat at being called Tony rather than Stark. It sounded so lovely in his voice. “I will see you tomorrow.”

And just like that, the door was closed in Tony’s face, who stared at it until it all registered.

 

—

 

It wasn't until afternoon the next day that Tony finally made it to the rescue center. Important company meetings over Skype that he couldn't wriggle his way out of and all. He’d really just spent the entire time thinking about that kiss and fantasizing about it going further. Leo had waited very patiently, and Tony told him so, but he was very excited to finally get going.

When Tony entered through the front doors, he found Loki limping back to the front desk. He had a wooden cane that he was using for support rather than the crutch today, and a cup of tea in the other hand. His hair hung free today, swept over to one side. His vape pen sat behind his exposed ear.

“Doctor House.” Tony greeted him.

Loki glanced over and gave a little smile. “There you are. Mind helping Sam and Katie with the deer? I tried to and they yelled at me to go sit down.” He sighed as he sat down at the desk, resting the cane against the side.

Tony laughed. “As they should. Nothing but paperwork for you today, buddy.”

“I'm technically higher on the command chain than you and thus you cannot tell me what to do.”

“I feel like even if I was your boss, I couldn't tell you what to do.”

“That's very true.”

Tony let Leo off his leash to roam, hanging it up on the coat hangar. “How are you doing?” He asked Loki.

“Fine.” Loki responded, flipping through some papers.

Tony sighed and walked over to the desk, leaning over it. “How are you really doing?”

Loki glanced up and their eyes met, chocolate brown to bright green. After a moment, Loki pulled a face, and said. “Feels like my leg went through a blender on fire.” He admitted. “But I'm drugged up on Oxy and don’t hardly feel it right now.” He nodded towards the door that led to the inner parts of the building. “Now go help Katie with the baby deer. She's cranky and being stubborn. The deer too.”

Tony smiled, glad Loki told him the truth, and dipped his head before heading out obediently.

 

It wasn’t until everyone was scrambling to fill Loki’s shoes that Tony really realized just how much the man did around here. He knew from the others that he tended to come in early and stay later than his shift paid him for, and Tony wondered how the hell he had time for all of that and still be able to take care of all the animals at home and keep the place clean. The guy was a magician.

A grumpy magician that kept trying to get up from his chair to go do manual labor. In the end, Tony and another volunteer, Alex, tied Loki to the chair with dog leashes until he got the message that he wasn't allowed to leave that seat today. Of course that gave Tony ideas, and he had to work hard to put them out of his head for the rest of the day. Certainly didn't help when someone told Loki to be gentle with himself, and he responded, “Maybe I like it rough.” and then glanced at Tony for a split second. Tony tried really hard not to choke.

They all knew Loki didn't have a car, and usually walked to work. He was berated that morning for walking rather than calling one of them for a ride, but he shrugged them off and said he came in earlier than the lot of them. Tony insisted on driving him home, and Loki told him that he was probably also going to be staying late as well.

“I will stay here til midnight if I have to.” Tony countered, crossing his arms.

Loki shrugged. “If you like, but I'm locking up at 9.” He smirked.

Later in the day, after everyone else had gone home, Tony came back into the entrance area to find Loki missing from the desk again. He sighed and went off to find him. Babysitting injured men wasn't in the job description.

He found the lanky man sitting on the floor in front of the cage that the most recent rescue, the one who had bit him, was currently occupying. She looked like some kind of stocky mutt, and Tony almost always saw the fearful whites of her eyes and teeth when he came near the cage, and she’d press herself against the back wall to get as far from him as she could.

Tonight, however, she was sitting calmly in the middle of her cage, staring at Loki. He was leaning his back against the wall, not really looking at the dog. But he had his hand near the cage, black nails contrasting the white tile, and was talking very softly; perhaps even humming. He had a look of absolute zen on his face.

When Tony got closer, Loki lifted his green eyes up calmly to look at him, his tranquil expression not breaking.

“It's 9.” Tony informed him of the time, very quietly. He glanced over at the dog, but she only blinked at him, not budging from her spot. That was progress.

Loki nodded and grabbed his cane, using it to push himself up to his feet. Tony took his arm when he staggered, and Loki didn't pull away this time. He led the man out of the room and closed the door behind them.

When they were out in the entrance area, Leo pulled himself up from the dog bed and walked up to greet them. Tony turned to Loki and asked, “How the hell did you do that? She wasn't letting anyone even come into the room without freaking out just a few hours ago. Is this some kind of Reiki shit?”

Loki limped over to the desk, and leaned against it, looking thoughtful. “I just understand her.” He looked at Tony for a long moment; seeming like he had something at the tip of his tongue, but was hesitant. After a bit, he finally seemed to have made up his mind, and went on. “I was like her, once. Vicious. But behind the lashing out, I was afraid and in pain. I see something I used to feel in her eyes, and I understand what she needs.”

Tony was surprised to receive such a personal admission. He had a feeling not many people got to hear that. He wasn't really sure how to respond. He desperately wanted more information, after that tantalizing tidbit into the man’s past. But he didn't want to press.

He didn't get a chance to ask anyway, as Loki changed the subject. “Now get out of here, I have to close up.” He was fiddling with the keys on their chain.

Tony smirked. “You're still letting me drive you home, right?” He grabbed Leo’s leash, and clipped it to the dog’s collar.

“I have a feeling I wouldn't be able to refuse.”

“True. I kinda don't think it would take much effort to drag you into my car.”

“I'm stronger than I look.”

“So am I.”

Loki looked him up and down considerately. “You must be very strong, then.”

Tony was taken aback by the compliment, but Loki just turned and limped towards the front door. Tony quickly rushed over to the door, Leo in tow, and opened it for Loki before he could reach it.

Loki stepped through, soon followed by Tony and Leo. Once out, Loki locked the door with a click, and then put his keys in his pocket. When he turned around, however, he found himself face to face with Tony.

His shock was purely reactionary as Tony pressed him against the glass door, bringing his face in to press their lips together. A muffled ‘mmf!’ escaped his throat, half surprise and half pleasure. Tony kissed him hard and eager, hands on his arms, careful not to push weight on his leg.

Warm breath ghosting across both of their faces, Tony’s facial hair tickling Loki’s skin, the kissing quickly turned hot, heavy and hungry. Tony ran his hands up Loki’s slim torso, making him shiver under his touch. Loki rested his free hand that wasn't holding the cane on Tony’s chest. The glass door creaked under their weight.

This went on for a while until Tony finally broke the kiss, pulling back just a little, faces still close, still holding the thin man in his arms. He said breathlessly, “Come home with me.” His voice full of desire.

Loki’s beautiful eyes were practically glowing with excitement, but he shook his head. “I can't.” He breathed.

“Why?” Tony frowned.

“I have to feed the animals and get some sleep.” His voice was apologetic as he smoothed out a rumple in Tony’s shirt. “Rain check?”

Tony sighed. He ached with want, but he had to admit it was pretty late; he knew Loki had had a very long day, and he couldn't just leave the animals to fend for themselves for the night.

“I'll take it.” Tony gave him a little smile. “You're not working tomorrow, are you?”

“I… no, but I always take the dogs to the park on Saturdays.”

“Then I’ll meet you there, and you can come over for lunch after.” Tony pressed.

Loki studied his face for a moment, before nodding, mouth curling into a smile. “Sounds good.”

The drive home was quick and quiet. They exchanged a few quips, but Loki mostly spent it blowing vapor out the window pensively. Tony kept feeling the urge to make ‘those will kill you’ jokes, but he had a feeling Loki heard enough of those, especially if he was on vape to come off cigarettes.

When he pulled up to Loki’s place, a part of him hoped the man would invite him in and they could continue what they started. He had glanced at the pretty face beside him many times during the drive, and his desires were getting difficult to handle. But Loki looked really tired, and Tony wistfully agreed with the idea that they’d be better off saving it for when he was better rested.

So Leo whined as Loki dragged himself out of the car, using the cane to pull himself to his feet, and thanked Tony for the ride.

“Anytime.” Tony said. “Which park and what time tomorrow?” He asked eagerly.

“The memorial one up the street a ways. Ah… around noon I guess?”

Tony could hear Loki’s dogs barking excitedly from behind the door, and smiled. “It's a date.”

Loki dipped his head in farewell and limped up the steps and into his house.

 

—

 

His place wasn't overly far, but Tony still drove to the dog park that day. He could have easily made the walk himself, but the more he could keep Loki off his leg the better.

Tony hadn't slept overly well last night. He stayed up late making sure the place was clean; he had a maid taking care of it during the day but it didn't take much for Tony and/or Leo to mess it up again. Especially when it was playtime.

Then he’d had a hard time falling asleep on account of fantasizing about Loki, the thrill of finally getting to be intimate with the beautiful man he’d had the hots for days ruminating in his head. Which did lead to some enjoyable dreams.

So, he was a bit tired. But looking forward to the day ahead.

He parked the crossover, his least sporty and most spacious car because he would need back seat space today, and let Leo out, snapping on his leash as he headed out to the park area. There were a lot of dogs here, running around and playing with each other or their owners. Tony thought he spotted one of Loki’s, but he hadn't really gotten to know them well just yet.

Fenris, though; that massive wolfdog he recognized immediately. The black canine hadn't joined in with the others, and had instead chosen to remain at the feet of his person, who Tony spotted sitting at one of the benches. The dog looked alert, like he was expecting danger to his person at any time. Tony wondered if he had been a police dog once.

Tony let Leo off his leash, who had been looking longingly at the other dogs and now dashed off to go join in the fun. He watched the goofball go for a minute before going to join Loki at the bench.

If Tony hadn't already been looking forward to their lunch date later, he certainly would be after seeing the man.

Loki was wearing a green, oversized t-shirt that hung off his thin shoulder, exposing the skin underneath as well as his neck, which sported a simple black choker. His wavy, raven hair looked silky, and he wore it in his usual side-swept fashion, revealing his black stud earring. He sat cross-legged and lounging, wearing fitted black jeans and gray loafers.

He had his vape pen between his fingers, and a cloud came from his mouth. He seemed to be keeping a close eye on the other dogs in the distance; not an easy feat in such a pack.

“You look… ravageable.” Tony greeted the man with a grin. He wasn't sure if that was a word, but considering all he wanted to do was ravage him, it felt like the best descriptor.

Loki glanced up, green eyes glittering. “That a Kong in your pocket or are you happy to see me?”

“I’ve got peanut butter, if you wanna put my Kong in your mouth later.”

Loki choked, coughing up vapor, and Tony smirked, sitting down on the bench beside him.

“Come here often?” Tony asked. He leaned against the back of the bench and brought up his arm to rest along the top of it, behind Loki. The lanky man’s hair just barely tickled his arm.

Loki spun the pen between his fingers. “Whenever I can. The kids have a lot of friends here.”

“Looks like Leo has some friends here too.” Tony observed. The excited dog was currently running around with a Great Dane.

Loki nodded. “I took him here many times.”

“I'll have to make a point to come here more often, then.”

“I think he would like that.”

They chatted for a while, watching as the dogs played and got their exercise. Tony ended up rambling about his workshop and the non-confidential projects he was working on. Loki seemed pretty impressed by his descriptions of his high-tech gadgets, and hoped aloud that he might be able to see some of it. Tony informed him that he would regret asking, as he would not be able to stop himself from showing everything off like a 4-year-old boy.

A long while later, Loki finally popped his pen back behind his ear and called out for his dogs. Two of them came running, as did Leo. The last dog seemed occupied with a Pomeranian, so Loki yelled, “Don't make Fenris have to come get you!”

The dog seemed to perk up at the sound of the wolfdog’s name, and abandoned its playmate to come running. Tony wondered about the family dynamics in Loki’s little dog pack.

“Ready for lunch?” Tony asked.

Loki, busy clipping leashes on the dogs, glanced up and nodded.

“How does Japanese takeout sound? There's this upscale authentic place down the road a bit from me I order from a lot, and they’ll deliver for me.”

Loki got to his feet, leaning on the cane and raised an eyebrow. “Do you order out for every meal?”

Tony blinked. “I mean.” The idea of not getting take out or something had never really crossed his mind before. “What else would we do?”

Loki shrugged, looping the dog leashes around his unoccupied arm. “I don't know, I was imagining sandwiches or something. I honestly can't remember the last time I had something other than PB&J for lunch. But Japanese is fine.”

They managed to load all of the dogs in the back of the crossover, which looked hilarious, and Tony handed Loki a menu to the Japanese restaurant. As Tony drove on, it didn't take Loki very long to pick out what he wanted.

Tony raised an eyebrow at him, “Did you just pick the least expensive thing on the menu?”

“…maybe.”

“I'm buying, and trust me, I can afford it. If you don't pick something reasonable, I'm going to buy you the most expensive item on there and force feed it to you.”

“I can't let you keep buying me stuff.”

“And I can’t let you continue to waste away on rice and peanut butter.”

“I’m no one’s sugar baby.”

“Think of it as an investment for the sake of the animals you take care of.”

Loki glared at him in good humor, but it seemed he had nothing to argue against that.

As they stopped at a light, all the dogs piled over at one side of the car to look out the open window, tongues lolling, and barked excitedly at the small dog poking its head out of the car next to them. The person driving the car did a double take when they noticed five grown dogs trying to share one window. Tony couldn't help but snicker.

When they pulled up at Tony’s sleek, modern-style mansion in the nice part of town, Loki hid his reaction well behind a careless face. If he was at all impressed, he didn't show it. Or, to further support Tony’s theory, perhaps he really wasn't impressed.

Tony hopped out, and walked around to help Loki out of the passenger’s seat. Loki winced when he set his feet down, and rebalanced his weight when he set the cane against the ground. Tony then went to the back to let the dogs out; all of which stumbled over each other to roll out of the car. The dogs were excited to sniff everything in sight.

“Come on, then.” Tony said cheerily. “I'll place our order and then give you a tour.” He thought for a moment. “Well, of the first floor anyway. You're not climbing any stairs.”

The next half hour was spent doing just that. The dogs all rampaged through the house to explore everything, though they were kept in line by Fenris, who followed them around like a dark phantom on Loki’s order. Tony’s decor was futuristic and sleek; not warm and cozy like Loki’s house, but clean and simplistic. Leo seemed excited that his old friends were hanging out at his place, and was almost acting like a little tour guide to the other dogs.

After a bit, Tony noticed Loki putting less weight on his injured leg, and figured he was getting sore, so he offered to sit down in the living room. He had a faux fireplace going, and a mattress-like mat covered in pillows and blankets on the floor in front of it.

“You have no idea how hard it is to keep Leo off that thing. Which makes sense, its like an awesome dog bed.” Tony explained. “But it's for lying in front of the fire with a book or whatever.”

“Looks cozy.” Loki commented, easing himself down onto the couch near the mat.

They spent some time chatting before the food finally arrived. Loki tried to help set the table, but Tony told him to sit his ass down.

“You want a drink? I do have a lot of whiskey. And other shit.” Tony offered, going for the mini bar near the dining table.

Loki shook his head. “I'm still on Oxy, doesn't really mix with alcohol.”

“Oh, right.” He poured himself a small glass of whiskey and then wandered over to one of the cabinets. He opened it up, and a ton of tea boxes fell out, some of them hitting Tony on the face. “Oof, well I don't usually have tea but I got some for you, and I wasn't sure what you wanted so I bought… uh, all of it.”

Loki stared for a long moment before he burst out laughing.

 

As dinner went on, Tony couldn't help observing the man as he ate. He was eating with refined, dainty etiquette. No elbows on the table and everything. He had better manners than Tony, and seemed to fall right into the routine.

“So, I have a theory.” Tony said after he finished chewing.

Loki raised an eyebrow. “About?”

“I think you were raised in an upper class household.”

Loki visibly flinched, and looked away from Tony.

“Am I wrong?”

Loki sighed, “Figures, money would recognize money.”

Tony gave himself a point on his internal scoreboard. “So what took you from high class to living in a shabby house by yourself running an animal sanctuary?”

Loki had a good poker face going, but he seemed thoughtful, as he hesitated a long while before responding. “I was… raised by an upper-class family. That is true.” He tapped his black-painted fingernails against the table. “But what my life used to be doesn't matter. It's what I am now, and what I do now that matters.”

It took Tony a moment to realize Loki was basically saying he didn't want to talk about it. So, he didn't push. But his mind was whirling, trying to put it all together. Put together this puzzle that is Loki.

So Loki was part of a rich family in a high class lifestyle. Then… something happened, perhaps. Something bad, Tony figured, considering what Loki had said to him last night. And he cut them and their money out of his life and remade himself. Now he puts all of his focus and energy into helping animals, self-sacrificing to the extent of giving up food for himself and risking being injured by animals if it meant he could help them. Like he’s trying to cover over a past self with a better self. A new life devoted to giving, rather than taking.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better,” Tony leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on the arms of it. “I was raised by a cold, unfeeling man that never acted like my father, strived my whole life to get his approval, and then went into a self-destructive downward spiral when he died. Many public appearance disasters later, I was forced into therapy. I won't lie and say it didn't help.”

Loki raised an eyebrow at this quick rendition of Tony’s story that made a life of hurt and tragedy sound like a casual plot summary. He studied him for a moment before saying, “Well, guess we’re just two fucked up peas in a fucked up pod.”

Tony smirked, and raised his glass to that.

 

Tony had opened the glass sliding door just beyond the living room, letting the dogs out into the massive, fenced yard behind the mansion.

“Keep them in line, Fenris.” Loki told the wolfdog. The black hound snorted and followed the rest of them outside, and the sliding door was closed behind them. Loki sat on the arm of the couch for a bit, long legs just reaching the floor, fiddling with his vape pen and watching the dogs run around excitedly through the glass door. Tony was finishing off his second glass of whiskey, leaning against the wall next to the door, watching the dogs as well. He glanced over at Loki; his green eyes shone brightly in the sunlight. They always gave Tony a little chill when he saw them.

“There's a bowl of water out there. Suppose they should be fine for a couple of hours?” Tony asked casually.

Loki raised an eyebrow, seeming to figure what the man was getting at. “They spend most of their day out in my backyard, so they should be fine.”

“Good.” Tony grinned, and gulped down the last of his whiskey before setting the glass down on the window sill.

Loki straightened up his back as Tony turned and headed towards him. He didn't waste time. He went straight in for the kiss, positioning himself between Loki’s legs, placing his hands on the man’s hips.

He felt Loki’s breath hitch as he pressed against him, then Loki’s hands were under his shirt, running slowly up his abs. Tony kissed him hard and heavy, pulling the man closer against him by the hips, pressing their crotches together. They were both hard already, and Loki grunted in response to the friction.

“I need everything off of you.” Tony breathed between kisses. He pulled at Loki’s loose t-shirt and the man let him rip it off of him, over his head, exposing the expanse of smooth, pale flesh that was his torso. It also exposed the full tattoo on his arm; the knotwork stopped just beyond the shoulder and was bordered by beautiful, intricate designs. Tony intended to study the whole thing more closely later, when he wasn't occupied by other things. He reached up to the back of his neck, and tugged backwards on the choker, earning a grunt and smirk from Loki as his head was pulled back. “Everything except this.” Tony corrected his previous statement.

“Might need to take you up on your previous offer for help on the pants.” Loki said suggestively. “They're a bit tight.”

“I noticed.” Tony grinned, thinking about how amazing the man’s ass looked in them. He went to unbutton Loki’s pants, kissing him while he did so. Then he playfully pushed Loki backwards down onto the couch, who fell on his back with an amused smirk. Tony worked off Loki’s pants, careful of his injured leg. As the pants came off, Tony couldn't help glancing at the injury.

It was wrapped in bandages, so he couldn't see much right now. But some nasty bruising bled beyond the edges of the bandage, in vibrant purples and greens. He couldn't imagine what the rest of it looked like.

Now he took in the whole body lying in front of him, stripped down to only black boxer briefs and the choker. He was so slim and lanky, legs for miles, and his skin was smooth and hairless. At first he seemed blemish-free, but the closer Tony looked, he realized he was covered in odd little nick scars here and there, like the one he’d pointed out from Leo. He couldn't help but smile a little at that. He had a feeling each one had an animal story behind it, and that Loki remembered every one. He had a sudden urge to just lie naked with the man and point to each scar and hear him tell his stories.

“You going to keep staring, or do something with it?” Loki taunted.

Tony smirked, and answered him by stripping himself down to his boxers, climbing on top and pinning him to the couch.

They lay like that for a while, exploring each other's bodies. Loki seemed as keen to feel up Tony’s muscles as Tony was keen to run his hands and mouth all over Loki’s smooth body. He was positioned between Loki's bent legs, and was slowly grinding his hard-on into Loki’s ass, restricted by their last layers of clothing, as they made out and felt each other up. Loki froze up when Tony got to his neck; and Tony exploited the hell out of this discovered pleasure spot, sucking and nipping, earning little huffs.

Eventually the friction became too much to bear. “God I want you so bad.” Tony breathed into Loki’s mouth between kisses, grinding against him roughly.

“I’m yours.” Loki hummed back; and yup, that sent the whole thing boiling over. Tony got up and dragged Loki down onto the mat in front of the fireplace. As they went, Loki’s bare back came into view, and Tony spotted a second tattoo; a snake decorated by knotwork patterns coiling down his spine, black ink breaking up his smooth, sharp back. That snake reminded Tony of something.

“Do you really have a snake pit in your backyard?” He asked.

Loki smirked knowingly, a manic glint in his eye. “If you please me, maybe you won't find out.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, an amused yet slightly alarmed smile crossing his face. Well, that was a challenge.

Time slipped by as Tony pleasured Loki, who lay back in the comfortable pile of pillows; kissing every sensitive spot he found, running his hands lightly everywhere until Loki was shivering under his touch. He pulled his long, wavy hair a bit to tug his head back and expose his neck, where he then kissed and bit him gently. As his fingertips tickled Loki’s skin, he finally breathed into Tony’s ear, “Gods, just fuck me already.”

Never one to disobey such an order, the boxers came off. After Tony was done admiring and squeezing that beautiful ass, he grabbed the conveniently placed bottle of lube and set to work; beginning to press his fingers inside. Loki moaned and arched into it as Tony worked him open, and he could feel the man trembling with pleasure under him.

This went on, Tony’s fingers sliding in and out as their lips met in hot kisses until the man was practically squirming and begging for more.

Tony felt his heartbeat hammering in his chest and he fumbled for the lube bottle again, slicking his raging hard-on with it and then setting it aside. He hovered over the body under him, Loki’s legs spread for him beautifully, and Tony pressed against his ass with his tip gently.

Loki moaned deliciously as Tony pushed inside, and Tony groaned along with him; it was so tight and warm and perfect, his body trembled with the thrill. He felt the adrenaline rush through him as he pushed deeper until he was sheathed to the hilt, gazing at that beautiful face as he did so; watched as Loki’s lips parted, eyebrows stitched, and let in a sharp gasp the further he went.

Eventually he moved, sliding in and out, and god if it didn't feel amazing. When the rhythm was set he started pushing in harder, earning sharp moans. When he picked up the pace, Loki bit his own lip, his black fingernails dug into Tony’s back, adding to the intensity.

Tony unhooked Loki’s hands from his back and trapped them under his own, pinning them at his sides. He slammed into that gorgeous ass, thighs slapping against Loki’s cheeks. Loki’s face was contorted in intense pleasure, mouth open, breathing hard.

Their lovemaking went on, gaining in intensity and roughness and they both seemed to lose themselves in it, wild and passionate among the pillows. Loki moaning and breathing out heated ‘oh gods’ and marveling the feel of Tony’s massive cock inside of him drove Tony crazy and only encouraged him further. It felt like an amazing dream, but it was all so much better than any of his wet dreams.

In the end, Tony grabbed Loki’s shaft and stroked him until he arched and came; Tony not far behind as he came hard inside.

 

They lay there beside each other, in the ocean of blankets and pillows; naked, sweaty and breathing heavily. Loki covered in hickies and love bites, Tony in angry nail marks. Loki eventually reached up to the couch to grab his discarded vape pen, lying back and taking a drag.

Tony turned his head and gazed at the man beside him. Loki was staring up at the ceiling, pen in his mouth, looking pensive. He had an air that screamed he wanted to say something, so Tony stayed silent, waiting for it to come.

Eventually, Loki seemed to figure out what he wanted to say.

“My name is Loki Odinson.” He said softly.

Tony was surprised by that, and turned over onto his side to give him his full attention, sensing a story was coming. Loki went on, “I was adopted at a young age into a well-moneyed family that already had a son. I never really felt like I belonged. All I wanted was for my adopted father to look at me the same way he did his biological son.” He stared at the ceiling, going quiet for a moment. Tony stayed silent, waiting patiently for him to continue. “I was in a bad place, mentally. I did things I regret. I brought shame and heartbreak to my adopted family. When I realized the consequences of my actions, I tried to kill myself.”

Tony raised his eyebrows high at that, staring at the man lying beside him with deep concern. Loki took a moment to drag from his vape pen, blowing a cloud into the air above them.

“But I survived. I figured that was a message from the gods that I wasn't supposed to die yet. So I remade myself. I left home and committed myself to something.” He smiled very slightly; a bittersweet smile. “And now I finally know happiness. I'm finally happy with what I am.”

Tony wasn't really sure what to say. He wasn't great at this kind of thing. He felt an overwhelming urge to grab the man and pour out his genuine joy he had that he didn't succeeded in his attempt, but he didn't know how to express it. So instead, he rolled over and planted a long, languid kiss on the man’s lips.

“We really are two fucked up peas in a fucked up pod.”

Loki smirked at that.

 

Not much later, Loki eventually dragged himself up and started pulling his clothes back on, saying he should get himself and the dogs home. Tony felt a bit disappointed; he’d kind of wished they could go to his bedroom, and he could wake up beside the beautiful man in the morning. But he knew that wasn't possible. Loki needed to go home and take care of the animals that depended on him.

“I'll give you a ride.” Tony said, pulling his pants on.

“You don't have to-”

“Loki, you're not fucking walking across the whole town with four dogs and a messed up leg.” Tony said sternly. “And you're taking the leftovers too.”

Loki pursed his lips, but didn't say anything. Instead, he padded over to the door for the backyard, slid it open and called his dogs.

 

—

 

Over the next week, Loki’s leg slowly got better. He still used the cane, as he’d hobble slowly without it. But he seemed less pained as the days went by. Of course as long as Loki had the cane, every time a sick animal came in to be cared for, Tony asked if it was lupus.

“It's always lupus.” Loki eventually said irritably when the joke had gotten quite old.

The other employees and volunteers at the shelter seemed to figure out pretty quickly that the pair had gotten intimately closer; either because the flirting had gotten significantly more dirty, or Tony couldn't keep his hands off the man now. They took to calling them ‘Hipster Viking and the Iron Man’ as their imagined band name, apparently.

Loki’s work rehabilitating the dog that bit him was impressive. One night, Tony found him inside the dog’s cage, sitting with his back against the wall, the dog fast asleep with her head on his lap. To Tony’s amusement, Loki seemed to have fallen asleep as well. It was a serene and innocent sight, and Loki had seemed so exhausted that day, Tony figured he’d come back and wake him up later.

As the days went by, they didn't get the chance to repeat those Saturday escapades. Loki really hadn't been exaggerating when he said how busy and understaffed the place was all that time ago. Of course, Loki did drag Tony into a supply closet to give him a blow job when they stayed late one time, after teasing him with the idea all day. Apparently the man was amazing with his mouth in ways other than witty banter.

Incredible blow job aside, Tony did wish they could spend more time together outside work.

So one afternoon, Loki was walking back outside from a dropoff to the vet when Tony pulled up in his fancy convertible sports car, top down, and shouted, “Get in, loser; we’re going driving!”

“It's… the middle of the workday, Stark.”

“I copied your handwriting and scheduled you for a half day today.”

“That sounds illegal but okay.”

“C’mon; an afternoon with no animals, just you and me!”

Loki glanced back at the animal rescue building, and Tony thought he might actually decline.

But then, an hour later, they were driving down the most empty, country road Tony could find; fighting over Bluetooth connection to the radio and cruising, allegedly, well over the speed limit. So far they’d played a strange mixture of Tony’s Rock classics alternating with Loki’s modern Indie. They did both enjoy each other's music, but equally wanted to show off their own playlists.

If it had been anyone else, Tony would have been irked when Loki put his feet up on the dashboard. But he just looked too good; lounging with those sunglasses, hair flowing in the wind, vape pen in his mouth, long legs stretched out. Tony didn't mind telling him so; and after that ensued a flirtation battle of epic proportions.

At some point Loki insisted they stop at a drive-in restaurant called Sonic; Tony had never heard of it but he was instantly amused by the retro appeal.

It was nighttime when they finally got back to town, to Loki’s house. The stars had been beautiful, mesmerizing as they drive down those roads. But now, in the city, they were blotted out by the light pollution.

“My maid is taking care of Leo, so I have the night off.” Tony said suggestively, when he pulled up in Loki’s driveway.

Loki smirked. “You can stay over if you help me with the pet routine.”

Tony was very okay with that.

As he worked on feeding the birds, Tony couldn't help but smile and glance around. Loki’s home was so cozy, full of love and affection. Each of these animals, to the tiniest of them all, was cared for with the utmost tender quality by Loki’s hands, and that was something he could feel in the air. Each animal, from its most traumatic background, seemed to feel belonging here. Relief, love. Tony felt that; and the warmth spread in his heart. He glanced over at Loki, who was gently stroking the cat with the paralyzed back legs, and had an overwhelming urge to hug the daylights out of him. Kind of like when you see an adorable animal and want to squish it to death with love.

When all the animals had been fed, Loki sighed and lay down on his back on the living room carpet, rubbing his eyes. He looked exhausted, likely having gotten up quite early for work that day as usual.

Tony came over and sat on him, straddling his body and earning a grunt from the man beneath him. He bent down to kiss him before straightening up again, looking down at him thoughtfully. Loki glanced up with a tired expression.

“I wanna buy you a big house with a big yard for all the animals.” Tony said. Really only half joking.

Loki raised an eyebrow. “What did I say about not being a sugar baby?”

“It's not really for you, though.” Tony playfully pinned Loki’s arms to his sides with his hands. “Every room would be like… well one would be an aviary, and then you’d have like a huge cat room with a shit ton of scratching post castles.”

“So you basically want to buy me a better animal rescue center.”

Tony thought about that for a minute, and suddenly an idea sparked in his head.

 

—

 

A few days later, Loki walked into the rescue center at 7AM and was surprised to find Tony there already, chatting with the owner of the center,Lauren, who spotted Loki as he came nearer.

“Loki! Oh, I have such good news to tell you!” She sounded chipper for this early in the morning.

Loki raised an eyebrow at Tony, who had a pleased smirk on his face.

Soon, Loki would discover that Stark Industries had made a very substantial donation to the rescue; enough to finally afford all the renovations they’d been talking about for years, and then some.

Tony had also purchased the building behind the rescue; a mostly-unused building rented out to a few businesses for offices that could easily relocate. He donated the building to the rescue as well, which intended to bulldoze it and turn the space into a big, grassy yard where the dogs could go out and play.

Loki had seemed pretty stunned by all of this, and needed to sit down.

 

A couple of months later, Loki stepped out into the green, grassy yard of the rescue, the dog that had bit him all that time ago at his side. She was now the friendliest dog in the building, and going to a loving new home tomorrow. Tony watched Leo dash over from where he was playing with some other dogs to greet her. He knew the pup would miss his friend when she went to her new home.

Inside the rescue was quite the party. To celebrate the renovations, the rescue was holding an adoption event where all adoption fees were waived, and it was a huge success. They hadn't placed so many animals in homes in one day before in history. People were driving from towns over for it.

The event also raised awareness for the rescue, and by the end of the day, they had ten more volunteers and three permanent job applications. That would mean less work for everyone. Maybe Loki would finally allow himself a normal work schedule.

Tony handed Loki one of the tall plastic cups holding (virgin) champagne that was being served inside the building. Loki accepted it graciously, a faint smirk on his face.

“How does it feel to be a hero?” Loki asked him, gazing out at the dogs running around; sunset giving the air a warm, reddish hue.

“I prefer the term genius billionaire playboy philanthropist.”

“I mean, that's a lot more syllables.”

“Speaking of being a billionaire. Wanna go out to a fancy restaurant tonight to celebrate today’s success?”

“You sure you want the publicity?”

“Babe, I want us plastered across the magazines tomorrow. ‘Tony Stark seen smooching gorgeous mystery man, pretty sure we saw some tongue’.”

Loki smirked, taking a sip of the drink. “I'm not really sure I'm ready to rejoin high class society.”

“If I can handle it, you definitely can. You're a lot more graceful than I am.”

“These are facts.”

Tony smirked, put an arm around Loki and pressed their lips together. Leo decided at that moment to jump up on them both, causing them to nearly fall over as he barked playfully.

Loki laughed and pat the dog’s head before pushing him off.

“Goddamn it, Leo.” Tony shook his head. “You ol’ cockblock.”

Suddenly, the shelter owner, Lauren came up behind the pair and put her arms around both their shoulders; she seemed in a very good mood. “Why don't you boys head out early?” She grinned. “Go celebrate. Make us some babies. We can handle the mess.”

Loki raised an eyebrow. “You might want to consider retaking biology class, Lauren.”

“I mean, we can still try.” Tony grinned. Then he clipped a leash on Leo, and held out his arm for Loki. “Shall we?”

Loki rolled his eyes and took the man’s arm, handing Lauren the other dog’s leash.

“To the fancy suit store!” Tony declared.

“Wait, what?”

 

—

 

The end

[(On Tumblr)](https://morphiina.tumblr.com/post/183757009201/loki-loves-his-rescues-in-my-fic-those-in-need-3)

**Author's Note:**

> Epilogue: Thus Loki became an unwilling sugar baby and they lived happily ever after with many, many dogs.  
> Tony never found out if he actually has a snake pit or not.
> 
>   
>  [My Tumblr](https://morphiina.tumblr.com/)


End file.
